- Insights
The Dutch Fast Food Market
The fast food sector in the Netherlands is an important part of the out-of-home market. With a large group of chains and independent locations — ranging from traditional snack bars to shawarma and kebab shops — this market is dynamic. Below is an overview of the current state of affairs and trends. In this article, the term fast food sector refers to the snack bars and the kebab/shawarma shops in the Netherlands.
Market Size and Segmentation
The Dutch fast food market currently counts 8,393 locations, a slight decrease compared to 2024 (8,565) but still above the level of 2021 (8,287).
The market is divided into two sub-segments:
– Snacks & fries: 6,089 locations
– Shawarma & kebab: 2,304 locations
Snack and fries fast food outlets remain the largest segment, accounting for about 72% of all fast food locations.
Development by Segment
Shawarma & Kebab Shops
This segment shows steady growth:
Although there is a slight decline compared to 2024, the number of locations remains higher than in 2021. This indicates a lasting popularity of Dutch shawarma and kebab shops.
Snacks & Fries
The largest share of locations in the fast food world still consists of snack bars.
After peaking in 2024, the number of snack bars has slightly declined again. Possible causes include changing eating habits and competition from other segments.
Where Are the Fast Food Locations?
The Dutch fast food market is heavily concentrated in the major cities. The eight largest cities together host a large share of all locations.
Amsterdam tops the list with 503 fast food locations, followed by Rotterdam (402) and The Hague (315).
After that, there is a clear drop: Eindhoven has 160 locations, Utrecht 156, and Tilburg 129. In the north and east, Groningen (117) and Enschede (104) are the main hotspots.
This concentration reflects the urban demand for quick meals, driven by a mix of residents, students, and tourists.
Chains
In terms of chains, the vast majority of fast food locations are independent businesses. Of the 8,393 locations, 6,808 are independents and 1,581 belong to a chain.
The largest fast food chains in the Netherlands are McDonald’s, Kwalitaria, and KFC.